On December 22nd of 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law after winning approval from the Senate. The tax reform has since received mixed reviews: while the White House forecasts that its tax cuts for corporations will increase the average household income and grow the economy, many disagree with this premise. Regardless of who’s right, though, the tax reform is sure to have a big effect on businesses. Here’s a quick overview of how it will most likely affect merchants, and specifically, for whom the changes will be most advantageous.

While many businesses and organizations accept payments online, a significant amount of sales are still done the old-fashioned way – by phone. But manually staffing phone lines means there will inevitably be lost revenue, due to high call volume and when the office is closed.

With a pay-by-phone solution, you can accept payments around the clock through an automated system. Utilizing IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technology that is fully customizable, the system will guide callers through the available options, and securely process credit card payments in live time. And that is just the start.

Fidelity offers the most cost-effective Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solution that enables automated phone payments. Our Pay-By-Phone service offers a powerful, yet easy-to-use system that is available around the clock, and has many benefits for businesses and nonprofits. To illustrate, a charity running a raffle fundraiser can offer donors a hotline. Callers will hear a pre-recorded welcome message and be presented with the following flow:

Cash is not going away in the foreseeable future, but people are carrying a lot less of it around. The Nilson Report estimates that cash payments will be 24 percent less by 2018, and that card payments will rise over 50 percent. If you own a business and are not set up to accept credit cards yet, it is time to get started.

Collecting and processing payments is a basic yet essential function of any business. Payments are the center of business growth and development, and it is essential for business owners to understand the options available to them.

Merchant services is a broad term that refers to the various payment processing options. While most people associate merchant accounts with credit card processing, the term encompasses other payment options as well.

We talked about the availability of a QuickBooks integration with Fidelity’s payment processing. Here is a bit more about how a QuickBooks plugin can benefit your business, specifically in terms of lower rates, customization options, and convenience.

When it comes to payments, business size, industry and personal preferences create unique needs for every merchant. For example, a restaurant’s processing needs are not at all comparable to those of a school or nonprofit. Make sure that your payment services provider is knowledgeable about and has experience in your particular field. An experienced provider will be able to advise you on the optimal setup that will lower your costs and increase your business efficiency.

A processing company and sales rep that understand your unique business needs will go a long way in creating value for your business.

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